Texas 130 has failed to live up to its revenue potential, leaving the private company that operates the road in junk bond status.

Katherine Blunt takes a deep dive in the revenue challenges facing SH 130 Concession Co., the private operator of the Texas 130 toll road.
According to Blunt, the company "hasn’t been able to shake the junk-bond rating Moody’s Investment Services assigned it two years ago because traffic counts on its sections have consistently failed to meet projections." Specifically, "Last year, traffic and revenue fell nearly 70 percent below the company’s original forecast, according to the ratings agency."
The article notes that traffic and revenue have been increasing slightly for several years, but not in enough quantity to rescue the company from its junk bond rating.
Blunt goes on to closely examine the toll road's shortcomings—in erms of its ability to attract the traffic necessary to make ends meet. Speaking of making ends meet, representatives from SH 130 Concession Co. blame a lack of "direct connectors" for the sluggish traffic levels. Blunt provides more context for how the road came into existence:
"TxDOT planned Texas 130 to relieve congestion between San Antonio and Austin on Interstate 35, a highway strained by population growth and cross-border trade. The department completed part of the road by 2006, but it didn’t have enough funding to build south of Mustang Ridge."
As for a more heavily travelled future for the toll road, the desired connector roads are still distant spots on the planning horizon:
"The Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization has discussed the possibility of building a connector between I-35 and Texas 130 to makes the toll road more accessible from San Antonio. But City Councilman Ray Lopez, chairman of the MPO, said that project will likely take a back seat to other priorities in the area."
FULL STORY: Sparse traffic challenges Texas toll company

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure
If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

Integrating Human Rights Into Energy and Extractive Sector Transitions
Why just transition efforts must move beyond economic considerations by embedding human rights principles into business practices to ensure equitable, transparent, and accountable outcomes for affected communities and workers.

Blocked, Restored, Blocked Again — Housing Funds in Legal Limbo
Since Trump took office, the administration has blocked multiple affordable housing funding streams. Here's a look at which funds have been frozen, which have been reinstated, and which are in the courts.

Mapping Groundwater Risks from Orphan Wells Across U.S. Aquifers
A new USGS study reveals that more than half of the nation’s documented orphan wells lie within aquifers supplying the vast majority of U.S. groundwater, posing widespread risks of contamination from aging, unplugged infrastructure.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
Tyler Technologies
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions